A Great Black Educator — Born in 1875, Mary Jane McLeod grew up on a cotton plantation in South Carolina. Nobody in her family could read or write. But Mary was to lead the way. At eleven, she walked five miles to attend school for the first time. — As Mary McLeod, and then as Mary McLeod Bethune, she dedicated her life to helping other black chil... more »dren gain an education. Her first school was started in an empty shack with only $1.50. But by her will, intelligence, and courage, this distinguished woman rose to become a world-acclaimed college president and civic leader.« less